Speech and Language Cognitive Skills

Speech and Language - Cognitive Skills - Adaptive Equipment

Cognitive Skills

The programs listed here concentrate on the detection, training and retaining of cognitive and conceptual deficits. Some of the skill areas addressed include attention, memory, problem-solving, scanning, categorization and comprehension. These programs may be used with individuals who have deficits due to a stroke or traumatic head injury or who have a learning disability.

Alpine Tram Ride

Deductive reasoning is used to discover which of 10 animals are riding on four tram cards. Feedback after each attempt forces learners to reassess solutions and find animals with minimum tries.
Merit Software
13635 Gamma Rd.
Dallas, TX 75244
(800)238-4277

Animal Hotel

Animal Hotel is a memory game similar to the game Concentration. Users choose the level of challenge by selecting from different time requirements and difficulty levels to find animals staying in hotels. Individual scoring is provided after each practice session.
Merit Software
13635 Gamma Rd.
Dallas, TX 75244
(800)238-4277

Aphasia Series: I through XI

These programs for aphasics and others with reading and comprehension problems operate with a single switch or space bar. In Aphasia I (Noun Association) and Aphasia II (Opposites-Similarities), the client matches a word to one of 10 words on the screen. Aphasia III (Categories) operates in the same way, except the clinician controls the response time (3 to 30 seconds). Aphasia IV (Reading Comprehension) contains 10 stories with adult themes, with literal and inferential levels. A reading cursor highlights one line at a time. Aphasia V (Sentence Completion) presents choices of words to fill in. Aphasia VI (Definitions) is identical except three definitions are presented as options; foreign language or user-defined definitions are possible. VII (Picture Identification flashes pictures and asks user to spell the name, highlighting incorrect letters. VIII (Picture Naming) displays a picture and the user chooses the correct name from three options. IX is Initial Phoneme Cueing for improved word retrieval. Aphasis X is Mastering Personal Information.
Parrot Software
P.O. Box 1139
State College, PA 16804
(800) PARROT1 (814) 237-7282

Brain Train

Brain Train Vol. 1 is a set of 55 programs to assist in remediating a wide range of cognitive and behavioral deficits which commonly follow brain injury. Vol. 1 addresses visual-spatial deficits, visual and verbal memory deficits, impaired processing speed and basic academic/vocational skills. Programs are available in English and Spanish and run on IBM Pcs with 3.5 or 5.25 disks.
Rehabilitation Psychology Associates
P.O.Box 1510
Beaverton, OR 97075-1510
(503)228-9117

Captiain’s Log: Cognitive Training System

Captain’s Log assesses and trains basic cognitive functions: attention, concentration, memory, visual, motor, numeric concepts and reasoning skills. It may be used in early learning or in treating learning auditory discrimination/tones, color discrimination, scanning reaction, stimulus reaction; 2) Visual/Motor Skills; maze learning, spatial orientation, visual tracking 3) Conceptual Skills: numeric skills, size discrimination, symbolic display match; and 4) Numeric concepts/memory skills. The programs has automatic dating and timing of task sessions and records and uses a mouse, trackball, joystick or sip, and puff visual control system.
Brain Train
1951 Huguenot Road
Richmond, VA 23235
(804)794-4841

Cave Girl Clair

This program portrays believable children in realistic stories, rewards both integrated and creative thinking, values keen observation and memory over speed and enhances children’s understanding of the natural world.
Rhiannon Software
3717 Titan Dr.
Richmond, VA 23225
(804)320-7584

Clowning Around

A clown displays 12 objects from five classes and learner must use memory and discrimination skills to recall all 12 objects in as few tries as possible. Features random generation objects, graphics and a challenging format.
Merit Software
13635 Gamma Rd.
Dallas, TX 75244
(800)238-4277

Cognitive Disorders Series: I-XI

All programs in this series are for aphasics and others with cognitive disorders. Each requires only the space bar and enter key to operate. The programs teach category naming and completion, discrimination and reasoning, attention, perception, and memory for pictures. Titles include Category Naming and Discrimination, Memory for Pictures, Verbal Analogies, Sorting, Cognitive Retraining.
Parrot Software
P.O. Box 1139
State College, PA 16804
(800) PARROT1 (814) 237-7282

Cognitive Rehabilitation Series

This series addresses a variety of organizational deficits which often result from traumatic brain injury and other neurologic impairments. The series consists of five separate program disks. The first four disks deal with the target concepts of Categorization (fits and misfits), Sequencing, Association and Memory. the fifth disk is an authoring program that allows a clinician to expand or individualize activities fro the four content disks. All lessons are presented in a large easy-to-read upper/lower case letterset. Instructional design options allow the clinician to control the number of presentations, the number of tries before answers are given, the parameters on which a lesson terminates and other factors which may be required to meet individual patient needs.
Hartley Courseware Inc.
133 Bridge Street - Box 419
Dimondale, MI 48821
(800)247-1380 (517)646-6458

COGREHAB

COGREHAB comprises 21 programs divided into four groups for diagnosis and treatment of attentional, memory and perceptual disorders. These units are for professionals or for use under the guidance of a professional. The COGREHAB programs address cognitive deficits in strokes and brain injuries in a comprehensive program, including learning and vision, learning, and learning and speech, perception, memory and attention.
Life Science Associates
1 Fenimore Road
Bayport, NY 11705
(516)472-2111

COINSNKEYS

COINSNKEYS teaches recognition of coins and keyboard keys, counting and simple addition of coins. Student input is in keystrokes; the space bar is used for beginning counting. Any Key is a program that causes a response both spoken and displayed on the screen. The teacher uses the keyboard to select a pattern for coin recognition, a time delay before prompting and to enter the student’s name to be spoken by the program for reinforcement. A special option is available for blind students.
Castle Special Computer Services
9801 San Gabriel St. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87111-3530
(505)293-8379

Computer Progs. for Neuropsychological Testing & Rehab.

The Sbordone-Hall Memory Battery provides the automatic assessment of 18 memory functions and statistical analysis of the results. The program provides performance data and analysis and comparison of patient scores and operates with an Echo speech synthesizer for auditory feedback (optional).
Dr. Robert Sbordone, Ph.D.
Orange County Neuropsychological Group
8840 Warner Ave.
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714)841-6293

Dazzle Draw

Dazzle Draw illustrates coursework and brings lessons to life - both in art classes and other disciplines. Students draw, paint, spray-paint, flood fill, and cut and paste in developing thinking, cognitive, and visual perception skills.
Broderbund Software Inc.
17 Paul Dr.
San Rafael, CA 94903
(800)521-6263 (415)492-3500

Foundations

Foundations I is a series of visual and auditory reaction training programs, recording reaction time to a square presented randomly in time and place. Reaction to colored squares presented at random in recorded, as well as right or left reaction to a square on either side of a vertical line. Response time to a tone is measured, as well as accuracy and speed of response to a randomly presented variation in tracking line. All programs require a joystick. Foundations II is a series of visual scanning, tracking and reaction training programs; a color monitor is required.
Psychological Software Services Inc.
6555 Carrollton Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317)257-9672

Foundations I

Foundations I is a series of visual and auditory reaction training programs. Simple Visual Reaction Time I-II records reaction time to a square presented randomly in time and place. visual Reaction Stimulus Discrimination I-II records reaction to colored squares presented at random. Visual Reaction Differential Response records right or left reaction to a square on either side of a vertical line. Visual Reaction Auditory Prestimulus operates like Simple Visual Reaction, but includes a tone prior to the square to signal or inhibit response. Simple Auditory Reaction measures response time to a tone. Visual Scanning records accuracy and speed of response to a randomly presented variation in a tracking line. Visual discrimination Differential Response I & II require discrimination between two stimuli and response with either hand. All programs require a joystick.
Psychological Software Services Inc.
6555 Carrollton Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317)257-9672

Foundations II

Foundations II is a series of visual scanning, tracking and reaction training programs. Visual Reaction Multiple Stimuli records reaction time to change in stimuli color. Visual Tracking records reactions to change in color of a randomly tracking stimulus. Visual Scanning II records reaction time to recognize a cluster of digits surrounding a symbol 9$, # or 5). Visual Scanning III records search reaction times to scan a column of letters to match a corresponding pair of highlighted letters. Multiple Attention/Response requires the user to control the needles of 1 - 5 dials to stay within a target zone. Complex Attention records speech and accuracy at indicating the sum of three digits. Simultaneous Multiple Attention records success at determining when moving stimuli surround a target. Joystick input is used; data is collected for all programs; a color monitor is required.
Psychological Software Services Inc.
6555 Carrollton Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317)257-9672

Memory Castle

Memory Castle introduces a strategy to increase memory skills via an adventure game. Set in a castle, the game requires memory, reading and spelling skills for success. The format is designed to motivate students to practice these skills.
Wings for learning
1600 Green Hills Rd. P. O. Box 60002
Scotts Valley, CA 95067-0002
(800)321-7511 (408)438-5502

Memory I and II

Memory I is four memory training programs. spatial memory asks users to learn an escape route from a maze; a correct guess advances the user and an incorrect returns to the beginning. Verbal Memory (Sequenced Words) presents a series of words and asks the user to select the same words from an array in the order they were presented. Auditory Memory presents one or more tones that seem to slide up or down the scale and asks the user to reproduce the series of up/down combinations. Visual/Spatial Memory presents a symbol in a 5 x 4 matrix, then asks the user to recognize the symbol. The program requires a joystick. Memory II is an advanced series; either a keyboard or joystick is required.
Psychological Software Services Inc.
6555 Carrollton Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317)257-9672

Memory Match

Memory Match, a Concentration-style game, encourages play and requires careful observation and thinking skills. Students challenge the computer, a friend or themselves and decide how smart they want the computer to be. The program disk contains 25 lessons on three levels and includes: matching words, finding opposites, rhyming, homonyms and matching digits to number words. All content can be modified and new lessons added. Twenty word pairs can be entered for each new lesson. The computer will randomly select 10 pairs each time. Record keeping is included.
Hartley Courseware Inc.
133 Bridge Street - Box 419
Dimondale, MI 48821
(800)247-1380 (517)646-6458

Michigan Memory Series Software

This software consists of Serial Recall: An Assessment program, a norm-referenced test of linguistic and non-linguistic sequential recall. It is designed to assess memory span using the widely established span technique and is the first release of a planned series of four programs collectively known as the Michigan Memory Series. This program could be useful for children with learning disabilities, communication disorder, reading disorder, autism, mental retardation and other childhood problems for which serial recall difficulties are suspected. The program would be useful for adult with stroke, closed head injury and other neurological problems.
U. of Michigan Sofware Intellectual Properties Office 475 E. Jefferson - room 2354 Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1248 (313)764-8202

Soft Tools (1983-88 versions)

The soft Tools programs are menu driven disk versions of computer programs published in each issue of Cognitive Rehabilitation, a bimonthly publication. Soft Tools ‘84 includes titles such as Baker’s Dozen, City Map, Descrtipt Stats, Intercept and Sequential. soft Tools ‘85 includes Alphabet, Alphabetizing, Circle match, Digit/Symbol, dot-to -Dot, Gues Which, Patterns and Sequences and Seq Memory.
Cognitive Rehabilitation 6555 Carrollton Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317)257-9672

Task Master

These men-driven programs help users design their own tasks in six areas: Attention/Arousal, Scanning, Memory, Sequencing, Pair Identification and Reading. Therapists set up individualized tasks with their own stimuli (e.g. Shopping lists. Patients names, etc.) or built-in stimuli. Stimulus position, timing and sequencing are selectable, and tasks can be saved and re-used. Custom instructions may be written by the user.
Life Science Associates
1 Fenimore Road
Bayport, MY 11705
(516)472-2111

THINKable

THINKable, the fourth IBM Independence Series product, is a cognitive rehabilitation tool for direct client therapy and case management; it is a software program that creates a structured environment in which clients can practice skills in four critical areas relating to Visual Attention, Visual Discrimination, Visual Memory, and Visual Sequential Memory.
IBM Corporation
IBM Telemarketing Operations
3035 Center Green - Plaza 2
Boulder, CO 80301

VISPA

VISPA, a cognitive training software package for the professional who treats persons with visuospatial deficits, consists of 104 programs in 9 exercise families, with two versions - children and adult. The system employs colored animated graphics that are gamelike but not childish. The VISPA system reacts to user responses, increasing the level of difficulty automatically when the user improves performance and switches to the next exercise family after reaching a peak of proficiency. The system measures and records quantitative information like reaction time, presented stimuli and user responses. A printout of results is generated. All exercises are controlled with a light pen or mouse rather than the standard keyboard. VISPA is available in several languages.
DEKRO Inc.
4595 Club Dr. NE
Atlanta, GA 30319
(404)237-3851

Visuospatial

Visuospatial is a package of programs that enhances skills in visuospatial processing, organization, handeye coordination, focusing, etc. Completion of the series enhances fluidity of movement and integration of visual-perception and motor functions.
Psychological Software Services Inc.
6555 Carrollton Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317)257-9672

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